A week ago, I had the privilege of attending my husband's niece's graduation ceremony. It was a small school, but big doings for this tiny little town. It was amazing to see a packed house situated in this undersized gymnasium....with people clamoring to watch 40 senior high school students graduate. Yes, you heard me right, 40. They were situated on the small stage at the head of the gym....40 chairs organized in a semi-circle facing outward at the throngs of people. Cameras flashing and hands pointing and waving as they recognized their much loved student sitting in their chair atop the stage. This was a big deal. Major.
Though the town only has a population of 377, the school actually houses classrooms for 348. No, the town does not let Grandpa attend school, it merely buses in children from families that live in even tinier towns nestled around the area. Towns without a school.
My husband actually grew up in this logging town in SW Washington state. He still has family there and we visit often. It's very idyllic and even cozy by most people's standards. There is a tiny gas station/convenience store near the blinking yellow light in front of the school. There are a couple very small motels with a meager 6 or 8 rooms to give the hunters and fishermen from out of town a place to sleep. A cafe, a tavern or two (very busy you might guess), a bank, a library, post office, liquor store and miniature supermarket-complete with outdated shopping carts and stocked with very few exotic items like capers or pine nuts. There are two churches, a couple of cemeteries, and a teeny tiny espresso stand that's only open a few hours of the day.
The town is situated near the foothills of the Cascade range and receives more than it's fair share of rain. I know this because my father in law calls me once a week and grumbles out the rainfall amounts, along with a soliloquy of the rainfall and weather from years gone by. There is a river that runs right through the middle of town full of sturgeon, salmon and craw fish--that is, unless my father in law informs me of their minuscule numbers and refusal to bite.
The quiet of this town settles into your soul and allows you to connect with yourself and Mother Nature. It is always refreshing to visit and catch hold of your thoughts while walking in the woods or even the middle of the street since there are very few cars that venture off the main highway. My 7 year old and I usually find ourselves wandering through the brush on my husband's pre-marital property he bought before he moved to the big city. We see elk and deer tracks, remnants of their sleeping quarters, and an over abundance of plant life that we rarely see up at our place. Ferns galore, fir trees as big around as minivans, blackberry bushes that lash out at you as you pass by, as if to say "Look at me! Look at me!". Critters big and small make their homes alongside the people of this perfect little town. As summer approaches, the bears awaken and rummage for food anywhere they darn well please! Common occurrences for the natives of this town, though the thought of encountering a bear during my walks leaves a large lump in my throat and keeps me on the alert.
As a very distant, pseudo acquaintance of this town by marriage, I have the ability to see the goings-on of this town in a different light as my husband. He is still very much enmeshed in the fabric of this very colorful and close knit community. He still definitely speaks the language of the natives, whereas I am sometimes eyed suspiciously if I wonder aloud at why anyone would worry about what the neighbors might think. Sure, they love me and have accepted me in their own way, but there is a language of understanding that only true natives can speak and I can only wonder and observe much of the time.
Take, for instance, this graduation spectacular. The preparation for this ceremony, and the many, many parties that would follow, started many weeks in advance. You would think that a ceremony for this small amount of students would be a piece of cake for the town and school, but that is not the case. You see, each and every student who will be graduating has to have their own "showcase" planned. A showcase that will exalt the achievements, however big or small, of that student. From 3rd grade math awards, to state volleyball playoffs, there will be pictures, newspaper clippings, and certificates pouring out upon that student in glorious heraldry. Every moment from their 13 years of growth and school will be available for all to see either during the slide show at the ceremony, or in the massive scrapbook at the party. My mother in law told me that her pastor (new to the area) said during Sunday service that graduation around this town was a national holiday! The town goes nuts for it's graduates.
There is no real explanation for it. At least, not one that anyone can study, just theorize about. Having grown up in a semi-small town (just under 5000) and lived in the seclusion of a farmhouse on the outskirts of town, I can relate a little to the importance of the school and it's graduates. It's a good thing to encourage and support your future leaders and taxpayers. It is dignified and moral to hold to esteem the up and coming generation about to be sprung into the real world. There's real value in that....unquestionably.
However, this small town takes that to a new level. Because of the drastic drop in the logging industry of this area during the 1970's, there has been a kind of shift in the focus of the townspeople. The expectations that were once commonplace that the boys would grow up to follow their father's boot steps into the woods to cut timber, and the girls would marry and keep alive the same future for their own offspring had disappeared with the endangered Spotted Owl and the rise of the worrisome tree huggers. My own father in law had a faded sign nailed to the tree at the front of his driveway that stated "This family is supported by Timber $$" during the first couple of years I visited with my husband. Ironically, most timber fellers were tree huggers themselves, though you wouldn't hear them say that. They respected the awesomeness of the trees they fell and worked hard to keep forests growing for the next generation. It is unimaginable, until you see it firsthand, the colossal volume of trees that grows in the Northwest. They are EVERYWHERE! When one comes down, thirty more pop up, now that they have a view of the sun. It replenishes itself. Awesome.
With the shift now on the young students living among the uncertainty of the economic stability of these small town families, it's not difficult to understand the drive to help them achieve the best opportunities possible. Everything in that town is centered around the school. High school sporting events are practically a requirement to attend. They have even closed the school and fired up a number of school buses to attend state playoff games. It's that important. The town businesses close early and skeleton crews are left to deal with the unlikely event that an emergency would occur.
The support these students receive from the adults of this town is gigantic and unending. It's as if every grownup has a personal stake in the success of each and every child that attends that school. In a way, this support and encouragement is a necessary part of the town's ability to survive. Without home grown success stories that are firmly grounded in the culture and way of living in that town, there would be little more than a notation on the map of what once was this small town. It's very strength comes from it's ability to keep it's youngest residents hungry for the accolades that are strewn upon them during their formative years.
I envy the residents of this town in a number of ways. To be a student in this school is deemed a certainty for accomplishment. Having your core family support and encourage you is a fine thing indeed, but having an entire town stand behind you and spur you on to greatness, would be a great thing. It truly is the epitome of a village raising a child. There has to be a strong sense of comfort and stability in knowing every person in town is looking after you. Mischievous behavior is usually caught early and is certain to reach your parent's ears before you even get home. News spreads fast in a small town, and unacceptable acts will most likely be squashed before any real damage is done.
The pressure to behave appropriately and as expected has got to be great, but also must supply you with a sense of belonging...of knowing exactly who you are and what you must do. There's security in that...and peace. To have that many people in your corner, pulling for you and feeding your interests with opportunities to observe the trades of the locals and try your hand at a day's work with someone you've known literally your entire life, can be just what you need to determine your life's profession.
I'm sure there's a downside to all of this as well, though I believe the benefits far outweigh the negatives. It must be difficult to feel the scrutiny of the town as they view your successes and failures over the course of your life. If you don't have good stress coping skills, you could buckle under the pressure or rebel against their expectations. It also must be hard knowing that everyone will know your problems and the tendency for gossip to spread like wildfire is almost certain. That could be crippling if it reaches a fever pitch.
Overall, the advantages of growing up in a small town...a really small town, seems like heaven to most of us not as fortunate. Having nearly every single resident of the town show up at your graduation ceremony and make the round of parties throughout the evening will surely keep you on your toes, if not your best behavior. I'm glad there are still towns like this in the world today. That lifestyle speaks to me, as I'm sure it does to a lot of other people seeking the meaningful things in life. Seeing altruism and a real sense of belonging so openly displayed all through the town restores my faith in the American way of life. The ideal setting for all that is good about being human manifest in this small town. We all should have a chance to sample this existence...and learn the importance of connecting with others so that you feel like you belong somewhere.
Though the town only has a population of 377, the school actually houses classrooms for 348. No, the town does not let Grandpa attend school, it merely buses in children from families that live in even tinier towns nestled around the area. Towns without a school.
My husband actually grew up in this logging town in SW Washington state. He still has family there and we visit often. It's very idyllic and even cozy by most people's standards. There is a tiny gas station/convenience store near the blinking yellow light in front of the school. There are a couple very small motels with a meager 6 or 8 rooms to give the hunters and fishermen from out of town a place to sleep. A cafe, a tavern or two (very busy you might guess), a bank, a library, post office, liquor store and miniature supermarket-complete with outdated shopping carts and stocked with very few exotic items like capers or pine nuts. There are two churches, a couple of cemeteries, and a teeny tiny espresso stand that's only open a few hours of the day.
The town is situated near the foothills of the Cascade range and receives more than it's fair share of rain. I know this because my father in law calls me once a week and grumbles out the rainfall amounts, along with a soliloquy of the rainfall and weather from years gone by. There is a river that runs right through the middle of town full of sturgeon, salmon and craw fish--that is, unless my father in law informs me of their minuscule numbers and refusal to bite.
The quiet of this town settles into your soul and allows you to connect with yourself and Mother Nature. It is always refreshing to visit and catch hold of your thoughts while walking in the woods or even the middle of the street since there are very few cars that venture off the main highway. My 7 year old and I usually find ourselves wandering through the brush on my husband's pre-marital property he bought before he moved to the big city. We see elk and deer tracks, remnants of their sleeping quarters, and an over abundance of plant life that we rarely see up at our place. Ferns galore, fir trees as big around as minivans, blackberry bushes that lash out at you as you pass by, as if to say "Look at me! Look at me!". Critters big and small make their homes alongside the people of this perfect little town. As summer approaches, the bears awaken and rummage for food anywhere they darn well please! Common occurrences for the natives of this town, though the thought of encountering a bear during my walks leaves a large lump in my throat and keeps me on the alert.
As a very distant, pseudo acquaintance of this town by marriage, I have the ability to see the goings-on of this town in a different light as my husband. He is still very much enmeshed in the fabric of this very colorful and close knit community. He still definitely speaks the language of the natives, whereas I am sometimes eyed suspiciously if I wonder aloud at why anyone would worry about what the neighbors might think. Sure, they love me and have accepted me in their own way, but there is a language of understanding that only true natives can speak and I can only wonder and observe much of the time.
Take, for instance, this graduation spectacular. The preparation for this ceremony, and the many, many parties that would follow, started many weeks in advance. You would think that a ceremony for this small amount of students would be a piece of cake for the town and school, but that is not the case. You see, each and every student who will be graduating has to have their own "showcase" planned. A showcase that will exalt the achievements, however big or small, of that student. From 3rd grade math awards, to state volleyball playoffs, there will be pictures, newspaper clippings, and certificates pouring out upon that student in glorious heraldry. Every moment from their 13 years of growth and school will be available for all to see either during the slide show at the ceremony, or in the massive scrapbook at the party. My mother in law told me that her pastor (new to the area) said during Sunday service that graduation around this town was a national holiday! The town goes nuts for it's graduates.
There is no real explanation for it. At least, not one that anyone can study, just theorize about. Having grown up in a semi-small town (just under 5000) and lived in the seclusion of a farmhouse on the outskirts of town, I can relate a little to the importance of the school and it's graduates. It's a good thing to encourage and support your future leaders and taxpayers. It is dignified and moral to hold to esteem the up and coming generation about to be sprung into the real world. There's real value in that....unquestionably.
However, this small town takes that to a new level. Because of the drastic drop in the logging industry of this area during the 1970's, there has been a kind of shift in the focus of the townspeople. The expectations that were once commonplace that the boys would grow up to follow their father's boot steps into the woods to cut timber, and the girls would marry and keep alive the same future for their own offspring had disappeared with the endangered Spotted Owl and the rise of the worrisome tree huggers. My own father in law had a faded sign nailed to the tree at the front of his driveway that stated "This family is supported by Timber $$" during the first couple of years I visited with my husband. Ironically, most timber fellers were tree huggers themselves, though you wouldn't hear them say that. They respected the awesomeness of the trees they fell and worked hard to keep forests growing for the next generation. It is unimaginable, until you see it firsthand, the colossal volume of trees that grows in the Northwest. They are EVERYWHERE! When one comes down, thirty more pop up, now that they have a view of the sun. It replenishes itself. Awesome.
With the shift now on the young students living among the uncertainty of the economic stability of these small town families, it's not difficult to understand the drive to help them achieve the best opportunities possible. Everything in that town is centered around the school. High school sporting events are practically a requirement to attend. They have even closed the school and fired up a number of school buses to attend state playoff games. It's that important. The town businesses close early and skeleton crews are left to deal with the unlikely event that an emergency would occur.
The support these students receive from the adults of this town is gigantic and unending. It's as if every grownup has a personal stake in the success of each and every child that attends that school. In a way, this support and encouragement is a necessary part of the town's ability to survive. Without home grown success stories that are firmly grounded in the culture and way of living in that town, there would be little more than a notation on the map of what once was this small town. It's very strength comes from it's ability to keep it's youngest residents hungry for the accolades that are strewn upon them during their formative years.
I envy the residents of this town in a number of ways. To be a student in this school is deemed a certainty for accomplishment. Having your core family support and encourage you is a fine thing indeed, but having an entire town stand behind you and spur you on to greatness, would be a great thing. It truly is the epitome of a village raising a child. There has to be a strong sense of comfort and stability in knowing every person in town is looking after you. Mischievous behavior is usually caught early and is certain to reach your parent's ears before you even get home. News spreads fast in a small town, and unacceptable acts will most likely be squashed before any real damage is done.
The pressure to behave appropriately and as expected has got to be great, but also must supply you with a sense of belonging...of knowing exactly who you are and what you must do. There's security in that...and peace. To have that many people in your corner, pulling for you and feeding your interests with opportunities to observe the trades of the locals and try your hand at a day's work with someone you've known literally your entire life, can be just what you need to determine your life's profession.
I'm sure there's a downside to all of this as well, though I believe the benefits far outweigh the negatives. It must be difficult to feel the scrutiny of the town as they view your successes and failures over the course of your life. If you don't have good stress coping skills, you could buckle under the pressure or rebel against their expectations. It also must be hard knowing that everyone will know your problems and the tendency for gossip to spread like wildfire is almost certain. That could be crippling if it reaches a fever pitch.
Overall, the advantages of growing up in a small town...a really small town, seems like heaven to most of us not as fortunate. Having nearly every single resident of the town show up at your graduation ceremony and make the round of parties throughout the evening will surely keep you on your toes, if not your best behavior. I'm glad there are still towns like this in the world today. That lifestyle speaks to me, as I'm sure it does to a lot of other people seeking the meaningful things in life. Seeing altruism and a real sense of belonging so openly displayed all through the town restores my faith in the American way of life. The ideal setting for all that is good about being human manifest in this small town. We all should have a chance to sample this existence...and learn the importance of connecting with others so that you feel like you belong somewhere.
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